


Love is not what you think it is

by harshbrown



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Crying, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Indirect Confessions, Living Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Cuddling, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, all nighters, and they were roommates oh my god they were roommates, getting drunk, photographer!clay, staying up late
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29630709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harshbrown/pseuds/harshbrown
Summary: "I will. I guess this is goodbye?""It's not a goodbye, I'm literally just a phone call away, and I'm pretty sure one day I'll come to visit you. Take care, okay?""Yeah, okay, bye Nick!" George takes his suitcase and leaves to board his flight, and he turns back one last time to wave at Nick, who waves back and smiles.--After getting tricked by Wilbur, a landlord, Clay and George end up living in the same apartment. They work together to try and find Wilbur for a refund, but in doing so, George falls deeper in love with Clay.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Floris | Fundy, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 5





	Love is not what you think it is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George leaves for New York. Clay arranges for his trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hello! I'm happy to be here and happy that you’re here! Anyways, a few things I’d like to address before carrying on;  
> \- This fic uses real names! (apart from Bad)  
> \- Nick lives in London after moving from America at a young age; around the age of 12 I’d say  
> \- George is 22, Clay and Floris are 21, and Nick is 20  
> \- Make way for two ships! Yes, we have a dnf as well as a fwt, I’m sorry for the hassle, but, BUT it is mostly dnf  
> \- If cc’s are uncomfortable with this, I’ll take it down! Respect boundaries!  
> \- The first and possibly second chapter is just to get some character’s personalities in, and also to build on the story line, so hopefully by chapter 3 we’ll have more dnf interaction!  
> \- **\--** means a pov change  
> \- **Make sure to read the notes, because they do have things like ages, locations, etc**  
>  Enjoy! <3

"C'mere George! You can't run!" 

George was running for his life, he _couldn't_ get caught by Nick. It was very likely he'd be tackled to the floor again, for the fifth time this hour, and George had managed to wrestle him off the other times, but he didn't have the physical energy to do so once more. He sprinted up the stairs to the rooftop, hoping his mum would help chase Nick off. 

"Mum! Help me! He's chasing me again!" She only hummed, looked up from her phone, and smirked as soon as she saw Nick ram into George, making both of them lose balance and plummet towards the ground. George groaned, not even bothering to protest as Nick lay on top of him. He could feel the way Nick had a smug grin on his face when he chuckled.

It was a habit, Nick would always sneak up on him and tackle him to the ground, he's been doing so ever since high school. The first time they met, Nick was so much more shy, George figured it grew onto him after watching him get tackled to the ground by his teammates after he'd scored a goal during a football match against other schools. It was amusing when Nick was getting tackled, but not when he was the prey for this hungry predator. 

"George, that's the fifth time you've lost to Nick this hour! I don't know how you're going to survive all the way in America." George shot his mum a painful look, but she still sat there, smiling fondly at the duo laying on the floor. 

"It'll be alright if you don't give this _donkey_ my address." 

"Hey! I'm not a donkey!" Nick glared at George as he playfully punched him in the shoulder. George grinned and shoved him to the side, before quickly getting up and running to where his mum was sat for protection. 

"Oh yeah, speaking of addresses, you said you found a house over there, right? Is it okay?" George lightened up at the thought of his house. He eyed Nick as he got up and walked back into the house, it was likely he was hungry once again. 

"The pictures I got sent by the landlord look pretty good, look." He took out his phone and scrolled through his camera roll until he found the pictures just above ones he took when he and his friends were drunk at a party. He smirked, the party was very hard not to forget, it was that time Nick drank so much he passed out, and George had to carry him back to his car and drive him home. The next day, he seemed to have forgotten everything that happened.

He handed his phone to his mum, who looked at the pictures and said "Oh, it does look like a nice place. How's the landlord?" 

"He's somewhat of a nice person, I haven't properly met him yet but his rules are weird, like one of them was 'don't hang yourself using the ceiling fans' and another was 'don't jump off your balcony'" 

His mum chuckled, and looked at George. "That's weird! What'd you say his name was?" 

"Wilbur."

\---

It was around midnight, and to his surprise, there weren't many people around. A few were glued to the glowing screens of their phones, some sat down, trying hard not to fall asleep as they wait for their flight. He checked the time of his flight on his ticket, and saw that he had another hour of time to kill before his flight came in. 

"I'm hungry." George turned to face Nick, who was standing beside him with George's suitcase in hand. He looked like he wanted to sleep, and honestly George should have left him at home, but Nick disagreed, saying he wanted to be with him right up until he left. 

"It's literally midnight, Nick." Nick always seemed to be hungry. If there was a zombie apocalypse, or meteors showering down, or massive volcanoes erupting, Nick would be the type of person to care more about his food than he did people. That was another thing about him, he had a massive appetite, and would eat anything that was given to him. Literally everything. Even dog biscuits. _That's a story for another day._

"George, I don't care. My stomach says it's hungry and it wants food." 

George looked around for a restaurant, the nearest being a McDonald's. He admits, he was kinda hungry. It also passes time, since he had another hour. 

\---

"Seriously? Chicken nuggets?" 

It had been around 10 minutes since they walked into McDonald's, and their order finally came. And of course, George ordered chicken nuggets.

"What? You literally got three large fries, fuck off." 

\---

They'd spent the next 40 minutes messing about, going to various shops in the airport and picking up things that were way too expensive only to put them back down, and running up floors to see who could get to the top first. By the time George had to go, Nick was practically laying down on the seats, slowly breathing in and out to regain his breath. They were being far too energetic at 1 am, but it was alright, because George wasn't going to be with his best friend of 7 years for a few months. George admits, he is going to miss him. They'd been together, by each other's side for the past few years. Nick would be the one to help him, guide him through times of unhappiness, discomfort and pain. Nick would be there in person if George needed him, and now, being apart from him doesn't feel right at all. He is going to miss him. He doesn't know what's waiting for him in America. 

"You okay, George? You have that look again. Maybe we should have just fallen asleep on the chairs so you could rest." That's what George would be missing. How Nick could see straight through him, understand his every emotion without having to tell him. Nick could just glance at him for one second and know if something was wrong. And that's what's comforting about Nick. He understood his emotions. George doesn't know if he's going to be able to cope in America. 

"I'm going to miss you, Nick. I know I'm going soppy and all, but really. I'll miss you." He meant it. He meant it with all his heart. Even if Nick could be a pain sometimes, he'd miss that. 

George felt his eyes prick with tears, and was trying so hard to push the feeling of loneliness and emptiness back down his throat. 

"George, don't start tearing up on me. Come here, you shortie." Nick pulls George into his embrace, and George quickly melts into his warmth. He's going to miss that warmth. 

"I'll miss you too, George." Nick pulls away from the embrace, and George finds himself missing the warmth. He wipes the tears that formed at the corners of his eyes and looked back up to see Nick staring fondly at him. "Call me when you get there, okay? Or once you've reached home and had some rest." 

"I will. I guess this is goodbye?" 

"It's not a goodbye, I'm literally just a phone call away, and I'm pretty sure one day I'll come to visit you. Take care, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, bye Nick!" George takes his suitcases and leaves to board his flight, and he turns back one last time to wave at Nick, who waves back and smiles. 

**\---**

"I'm telling you, you can't go!" 

It was confusing, but understandable why his father wouldn't let him go. The place does have one of the most sensitively hurtful memories of his mother. But this was a lifetime opportunity, and he can't afford to lose it. 

"Dad! You're being so unreasonable! Do you realise how hard it is to get selected in this photography competition? They literally only pick 10 people and I am one of them!" Anger was bubbling up from his stomach and rising up his throat, but he was careful not to spill anything before his chances of going decrease. 

"Clay, look, you can go if it was any place other than New York!"

"But dad! The competition literally takes place there! I can't change that!" 

"Well then you can't go!" His father sighs and turns to face Clay. His gaze had softened significantly. "You know why I'm not letting you go. I can't even bear to think about something as bad as what happened to your mother happen to you." 

Clay takes a step forward towards his father, and lowers the tone of his voice. "I can take care of myself, dad. You know I can." 

A few moments of a pregnant silence pass by. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't awkward either. The silence was broken with one, single sigh full of exhaustion, coming from himself. "At least let me go to meet Bad."

His dad shoots him a look of disapproval, and Clay lets go of a breath he didn't know he held. 

Clay's phone on the coffee table rings. He steps backwards to check who it is. _Bad_. He slowly backs away from his father, and picks up his phone into his hand. "I'm going whatever you say, dad. I'm sorry." Clay walks back into the house, and picks up the call. 

"Hey Bad! How's it going?" 

"I'm doing good, thank you! Anyways, your flat! I've checked everything, and it looks really good! It's fully furnished, there's wifi, great neighbourhood and it's amazing as a whole! But the landlord's rules are pretty uh.. let's say, weird?" 

Confusion strikes Clay, and he wonders what else is going to hit him. "What rules?"

"I mean, there were normal rules, but he said stuff like 'don't hang yourself using the ceiling fans, don't jump off the balcony,' stuff like that." 

"Ah, it's okay. Maybe he's had past experiences and doesn't want them happening again."

"Okay, so I'll give you the keys and all once you've reached New York at the airport, but I do have to go somewhere, so unfortunately I won't be able to drive you there." 

"That's okay! I can take a taxi. Thanks for your help Bad, I'll see you then!" Clay cuts the call. His fingers hover over the screen of his phone before it dims, and he stares at the reflection and watches as it begins to smile. A feeling of giddiness was bubbling up in his stomach, which was soon washed away with a stab of guilt. _Maybe I should apologise to my dad. But then again, it wouldn't make much of a difference._

Unable to do anything about his father, Clay decides to start packing instead.

\--

_Hoodies. T-shirts. Jeans, sweatpants, shorts. Patches. Patches?_

"Patches, come on, get out of my suitcase." Patches was sat in Clay's suitcase, hidden in between his clothes. She was curled up and comfortable, not wanting to leave him alone, as if she got the message that he wouldn't be with her for a month. It did hurt him too. Leaving Patches was something big - he loved her so much, she was part of his life and they were together ninety percent of the time. 

Clay picked her up and cradled her, stroking her silky fur until she was purring. "I'm going to miss you too, baby. It's okay, I'll be back before you know it." He planted a kiss on the top of her head and looked back down at her - she was staring at him with wide eyes, almost pleading him not to go. It was convincing, and he had to admit, he had thought of bringing her, but it was so much hassle and he had to concentrate on his competition as well. 

He thought back to the other people who'd be missing him as well. _Floris. My boyfriend._ The one who made him think of foxes, because of his fluffy hair. The one who made him think of sunflowers whenever he smiled. The one who made him think of honey whenever he gazed into his eyes. 

Patches jumped out of Clay's arms and onto the ground, where she purred and weaved in and out of his legs. Clay looked down and smiled, and carefully moved past her to his phone. He fell onto his bed with his phone in hand and called Floris.

It wasn't surprising that he picked up so quickly - Floris was always on his phone, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't take long to answer because Clay was special. Floris had it so that he could pick up whenever Clay rang, even if his phone was on silent. 

"Hey there, cutie. What do you want?" Clay would never get tired of that. It was Floris' way of picking up his calls. It was _cute_.

"I'm going to miss you." Clay sighed, and turned over on his bed. Patches jumped onto the bed and lay sprawled across his stomach and he runs his fingers through her fur. 

"But you still have like a week, right? Before you leave?" _Oh yeah! Another week. Not bad, apart from the fact that he just argued with his dad, who won't talk to him the entire week now._

"Oh yeah, about that, I kinda had an argument with my dad."

"He's not going to talk to you now, is he? That's alright, you can stay at mine." 

"You sure? I'm like the messiest person, and I'm really annoying." He could hear Floris chuckle from the other side, and Clay himself started smiling. It was nice to make him laugh. 

"I'm sure you're annoying, but it's okay, Clay." Clay frowned. He wasn’t expecting that, but it was the truth, in a way. But then again, it was also a way of saying ‘I love you’ but not so directly, or as fondly. 

“Okay then, I’ll be coming later today then, with my suitcases and all.” Suitcases? There was only one, but that was enough to fit everything - it was massive and green (obviously). 

“Okay! I’ll be waiting!” Clay smiled, and kept smiling even after Floris hung up. It was nice to know he could crash at his place anytime, without it being a nuisance for him, and it was also nice to know he’d have company up until the day he had to leave. Company of someone he’d miss. Even if he was only going away for a month. 

\--

By the time Clay was at Floris’ door, the sun was dipping further and further down into the horizon, painting streaks of orange across the cerulean sky. Street lights were flickering on and people walking down streets were tugging their coats closer together as cool breezes flew past. Clay looked at the cars driving past once again before ringing the doorbell one more time. He checked his phone, and it was only just becoming half past six. The time they’d agreed Clay would come, but Floris was nowhere to be seen. He considered knocking on the door before it flew open, an inviting and warm smile on the face of the man in front of him. 

“Hi!” Floris took Clay’s arm and tugged him and his suitcase inside before closing the door behind him. Clay was quick to embrace the other, it was cold outside and Floris seemed to give off warmth. 

“Ah, you’re cold. Come on, let’s go.” They were still in each other’s arms, holding each other close, and they stumbled their way into the hall before flopping onto the sofa together. They giggled before calming down and laying there for a few minutes, relishing the moment together. Clay heard quiet steps coming down the hallway, but pretended not to notice - he weighed out the options and decided it was better to stay cuddled with Floris for as long as he possibly could, only because he’d miss being in someone’s arms. 

“Aw, look at you two. Dinner’s ready, come on.” They didn’t move, even after Floris’ mother left them, they stayed like that for a while, before Floris shifted in his place to get up. Clay groaned, not wanting to move. 

“Come on baby, you know we have to get up to eat.” Clay groaned once again, before getting up and groggily trudging into the kitchen and greeting Floris’ parents. It was a normal dinner, nothing was different, or awkward about the fact that Clay had just shown up. Floris’ parents had asked about his competition and they wished him well. It was overall very welcoming and friendly, after all, Clay had been over quite a few times now. 

Clay dragged his suitcase upstairs and as soon as he got to their room, he left the suitcase by the door and flopped onto the bed. It had been a long day, and he was absolutely worn out, all he wanted was to sleep. Or Floris. Whichever came first. It ended up being Floris. 

“You tired? I am. Let’s sleep.” Very short sentences, but it captured a lot of emotion, even if it didn’t seem like it. It showed someone cared. Someone loved him. Maybe it did hurt a little to stay in a place where he knew no one, and to leave people he cared about behind, but again, it is only a month. If Clay kept telling himself that, maybe the feeling in his gut would go away. Like someone was pulling on his heartstrings and telling him he won’t return, when he would. He knew he would. Then what was so wrong in leaving? Was there something awaiting for him in New York? Could it be something to change his life? Or someone? 

He shouldn’t ponder about that. He’d end up overthinking, and deeply regret it. He’d done that so many times, it was too much to be able to count on fingers. And each time, it didn’t end up so well. The only reason everyone hadn’t left him was for the fact that his boyfriend understood, and adjusted. And Clay was grateful. For everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> edit : changed Bad's name from his real name to Bad


End file.
